Biggest disappointment follow-up album

[MonkeyTrousers]

I always thought R.E.M.'s Murmer was a vast improvement (and MUCH more varied) than Chronic Town. Sure it's only five songs but it always sounded (to me at least) live "Gardening At Night" and four versions of a semi-different song. I checked out of the R.E.M land after Reckoning.

I checked out of The Cars after Shake It Up. That record plus the interesting Panorama. The Candy-O record may be one of my all-time faves, louder guitars, no relying on the Roy Thomas Baker big backing vocals (ala Queen) formula. Genuinely quirky tunes. And the Title track is a new wave classic. Power pop on not too many ludes!

Andy Partridge's breakdown (and the amazing Terry Chambers' departure)
led to Mummer being just a quietly well done LP. As opposed to batting a thousand since their inception. Hell I even think that
GO2 is one of new wave's most overlooked albums. Poor XTC.

STRIP sounds like the work of a man with no formula, songs or conviction. FRIEND OR FOE is SUCH a tour de force and still sounds
so fresh today, whereas STRIP sounded dated soon after it's release.
If anyone here has not heard the ANTS' DIRK WEARS WHITE SOX record,
I HIGHLY recommend it. It sounds like Captain Beefheart and The
Beatles having a knife fight and coming away friends.
Reminds me a bit of XTC's GO2 actually. Perfectly awkward.

I know most people hate it but I love The Police's Ghost In The Machine. What a better time to check out after that release?
"Rehumanize Youself" a great Stew/Sting tune, the funky as f*ck "Too Much Information", "Omegaman" possibly Andy Summers' best tune.
"Hungey For You" - unusual for Sting to exibit such levity.
And four great singles: "Invisible Sun", "Secret Journey", "Spirits..
Material World" and possibly one of Sting's best ever tunes "Every Little Thing She Does Is Magic".

[Jason²]

5 words: SONGS FROM THE BIG CHAIR

couldn't have possibly been more let down after the amazing "The Hurting" - never looked at Tears For Fears the same way again.

[golfer]

1 2 3 4 by Propaganda after A Secret Wish [8D]

[bruiser]

[quote][i]Originally posted by bscheffel[/i]
<br>Thomas Dolby "The Flat Earth" was a big disappointment from the "Golden Age of Wireless"...
[/quote]

i'm going to shut my eyes and put my hands over my ears and pretend i didn't just read this.

LA LA LA LA LA LA LA LA LA LA LA LA LA LA

[bruiser]

[quote][i]Originally posted by MonkeyTrousers[/i]
<br>
STRIP sounds like the work of a man with no formula, songs or conviction. FRIEND OR FOE is SUCH a tour de force and still sounds
so fresh today, whereas STRIP sounded dated soon after it's release.
[/quote]

absolutely. "strip" sounds desperate and clueless. all that rococco libertine posing just comes off as campy and fey. NOT SEXY.

sample: "say it, girlfriend, say it. uh huh!" blech!

"friend or foe" is fantastic. playful, accomplished, classic. the burundi drum/rockabilly/horn section somehow works- who knew?!!

[quote]
I know most people hate it but I love The Police's Ghost In The Machine.
[/quote]

i've NEVER heard this! really? people don't like this album? well, those people are dolts. [:p]

i couldn't have handled another "zenyatta mondatta," personally. i love the direction they took it with this album. i mean, "invisible sun"? "sprits in the material world"? faboo.

[whistledog]

The Scattering - Cutting Crew

[fortyfives]

The Fabulous Poodles - Think Pink was a disappointment to me as I really liked the Mirror Stars Lp.

Thomas Dolby - The Flat Earth was disappointing after The Golden Age of Wireless.

Missing Persons - Rhyme & Reason wasn't nearly as good as Spring Session M

I always though The Cars - Candy-O was a decent Lp and much stronger than their 3rd release, Panorama.

Beauty Stab by ABC is one of my all time favorites as it's much different from Lexicon of Love. Both are way better than their 3rd Lp, How To Be a Millionaire

[zalasta]

i'm surprised by the mentions of Seven of the Ragged Tiger and The Flat Earth. They are both phenomenal records, in my opinion.

I would definitely put TRUE ahead of RIO, comparing album to album. They are both great records, but there isn't a weak track on TRUE. It's a fantastic pop album.

For me, most disappointing at the time was Eurythmics, Be Yourself Tonight. I learned to love it in time, but at the time of its release I hated the veering away from the old-style new wave/synth sound.

[react010]

Simple Minds 'Sparkle In The Rain' & 'Once Upon A Time' didn't do much for me after 'New Gold Dream'. I guess it's just to do with a lot of bands changing direction in the 80's when New-Wave slowly died out. Spandau Ballet's 'True' for example...i can't get my head around this track even being mentioned on this forum really, because to me it is the exact opposite of what New-Wave is and should be.

[whistledog]

[quote][i]Originally posted by fortyfives[/i]
<br>

The Fabulous Poodles - Think Pink was a disappointment to me as I really liked the Mirror Stars Lp.

Thomas Dolby - The Flat Earth was disappointing after The Golden Age of Wireless.

Missing Persons - Rhyme & Reason wasn't nearly as good as Spring Session M

I always though The Cars - Candy-O was a decent Lp and much stronger than their 3rd release, Panorama.

Beauty Stab by ABC is one of my all time favorites as it's much different from Lexicon of Love. Both are way better than their 3rd Lp, How To Be a Millionaire


[/quote]

I didn't like Rhyme and Reason either. The song 'Give' was OK, but not enough to hold my interest for the whole album

[goutroy]

The Cure: Wish following Disintigration. I like Wish, but it's such a disappointment compared to it's predecessor.

Modern English: After the Snow following Mesh and Lace. Mesh and Lace is such an incredible album, and After the Snow, while it contains their "hit", didn't capture the raw, dark mood of the first album.

Rational Youth: Heredity (and their EP) following Cold War Night Life. Loooooooove CWNL (abbreviations rule!), but their follow-ups were too poppy. Good, but nothing like their debut.

[My Aural Stimulator]

The Voice of the Beehive's first album was very, very good. The second album came out, and I wsa so disappointed at how super-crappy it was. Then, as if that weren't enough, I got the third album. I threw that one away.

[jaybag]

Man this is a great topic! OK this might not all necessarily be "follow-up" albums, but also radical changes of style ...

1. Fine Young Cannibals "The Raw And The Cooked" - Just horrid pop compared to their debut. To this day I can't listen to "She Drives Me Crazy."

2. ABC "Abracadabra" - They'd been headed this way since "Alphabet City", which was pretty bad. Sad to see them go from quality wave/pop to brainless dance. "Up" was almost as bad.

3. Men Without Hats "Sideways" - I've referenced this one before. Ivan Ivan goes grunge? What the f...?

4. Talk Talk "Laughing Stock" - I've tried and tried to convince myself I like it, I just don't. Mark Hollis went off the artistic deep end.

5. Moxy Fruvous "Wood" - This one's a little obscure (and not at all NW) but they just took all the fun out of their music after their debut "Bargainville".

6. The Style Council "Modernism" - I mean "The Cost Of Loving" wasn't their strongest work, but techno???

And count me along those who LOVES the following much-maligned albums:

ABC "Beauty Stab"
Naked Eyes "Fuel For The Fire"
Spandau Ballet "True" (though "Parade" was better)
Thomas Dolby "The Flat Earth" - but it took a little getting used to
Big Country "Steeltown" - their best work IMHO

[waldnorm]

Okay, here's some examples of disappointments with follow-up albums.

Yaz (Yazoo)-- "You and Me Both". After the hip, odd, and experimental "Upstairs at Eric's," this album seems to contain a lot of forgettable stuff.

A-Ha--"Stay on These Roads"

Thompson Twins--"Close to the Bone"

Blow Monkeys--"She Was Only a Grocer's Daughter" (what a mess this album was!)

Debbie Harry--"Rockbird" (with relation to Blondie), her next album was much better, even if her solo career is best remembered for "French Kissin'"

[zalasta]

[quote][i]Originally posted by waldnorm[/i]
<br>

A-Ha--"Stay on These Roads"

[/quote]

Good call. While it has a couple worthwhile tracks, it pales in comparison to "Scoundrel Days".